The century-old Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is the inspiration behind Stephen King’s classic horror novel “The Shining,” and we’ve learned that Blumhouse aims to create a “true horror destination” within the iconic setting. Read on for everything we know.

Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced that Blumhouse, the driving force in horror, will exclusively curate a 10,000+ square-foot Stanley Film Center exhibit space.

“Here’s Blumhouse! This iconic Colorado hotel will now have a new element of fun and fright for Coloradans and visitors across the world to enjoy, driving tourism and strengthening our economy. I look forward to seeing the exhibit and am happy that our administration can help make this possible,” said Governor Polis.

Blumhouse produces horror films as well as scripted/unscripted television series and games, with some of the most successful franchises in history. The company’s titles include Halloween, The Black Phone, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Get Out, M3GAN,Paranormal Activity, and The Purge, among many others. At the Stanley Film Center, Blumhouse will curate exhibits pulled from the company’s extensive catalog of popular franchises and box office blockbusters including films, television and gaming. 

“The Stanley Hotel is hallowed ground for horror fans and that makes this presence at the Stanley Film Center a natural extension for Blumhouse. Fans are going to get closer than ever before to their favorite films, though they may want to keep their distance with a few of the ‘items’ in our collection. We’re excited to get to work, but first we need to make it out of the hedge maze,” said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum. 

“Bringing Blumhouse to the Stanley is exciting and terrifying at the same time. We searched the world for the right partner to bring the Stanley Film Center exhibit space to life as a horror destination, and there’s no one better than Blumhouse,” said John Cullen, President, Grand Heritage Hotel Group. “With the support of the state of Colorado, and the boundless creativity and worldwide track record of success of Blumhouse, we hope to create something truly special that honors and celebrates the past, present and future of horror.”

The Stanley Film Center was approved as a Regional Tourism Act project in 2015 by the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC), which recognized its potential to attract new visitors from out of state. Through the RTA, the state is contributing $46 million toward the construction of the Stanley Film Center. To facilitate bonds that will fund the final construction of the facilities, the EDC approved a technical update to Resolution No. 4 of its agreement with the Stanley Film Center this morning.

“OEDIT and the EDC have worked with each initiative on a case-by-case basis providing support to ensure the success of the project. The partnership between Grand Heritage Hotel Group, LLC and the Stanley Film Center provides a unique potential to attract new out-of-state visitors to Colorado,” said Jeff Kraft, Deputy Director of OEDIT. 

“We are thrilled to support the development of the Stanley Film Center and can think of no better setting to showcase Blumhouse’s contributions to the horror genre. This partnership will establish Colorado as the premier destination to celebrate horror and draw new visitors to Estes Park and our state from across the country and beyond,” said Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman.    

The main Stanley Film Center building will be at least 67,000 square feet and is estimated to cost more than $70 million to complete and furnish.